The Virginia Democratic Party’s State Central Committee will meet this Saturday, September 13, in Fredericksburg and will vote on whether to have a primary to nominate our statewide candidates in 2009.

This is truly an exciting year to be a Democrat. Barack Obama is leading our ticket with distinction, Mark Warner is on his way to putting both of Virginia’s U.S. Senate seats in Democratic hands, and for the first time in a long time, we have candidates in all of the Commonwealth’s eleven congressional districts. Much hard work remains to be done, but I’m confident we will be successful this November thanks to our outstanding candidates and the leadership you have provided to the Democratic Party of Virginia.

But while there is important work to do in the weeks ahead, tomorrow, as a member of the State Central Committee, you will be asked to decide the method of nomination for the statewide elections next year. As our Party continues to grow, this decision is crucial not only to ensuring victory in the 2009 general election, but also to sending an important signal to the electorate about the inclusiveness of Virginia Democrats.

As a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor next year, I support a primary as the best method for picking our nominee.

A primary involves more people in the process than any other method. Earlier this year, almost one million Virginia Democrats came to the polls to choose our nominee for President. It was the longest presidential nomination campaign in history and, despite the press and the pundits telling us our Party might not emerge unified for November, after a successful convention in Denver, Democrats of all stripes are giving their time, energy and financial support to ensure Senator Obama’s victory.

Just as in this year’s presidential primary—and in primaries past, both in Virginia and around the nation—the process hones the skills and message of the Party’s nominee for the fall campaign. Make no mistake: Bob McDonnell, the expected Republican nominee for Governor, will be a formidable opponent next year. He will be well funded by his far-right allies and friends in the GOP establishment, and we can expect him to use all the trappings of his office to improve his name recognition in the months ahead. A primary will allow our candidate to get maximum exposure in the news media while refining their message and preparing for the coming battle in November.

Our friends on the other side of the aisle demonstrated almost a year ago the false promise of unity put forward by advocates of a nominating convention. Make no mistake, I believe Mark would be on the path to victory regardless of which candidate the GOP nominated to challenge him, but we have benefited from the Republican Party of Virginia’s decision to use a convention. Their nominee barely emerged from the convention and the other day I learned that his closest opponent in that contest is now refusing to endorse him.

By picking a primary as the nomination method for the 2009 statewide races, I strongly believe that we will best position the Democratic Party for victory. It will send an unmistakable message to our grassroots supporters that as our Party grows, their voices will be heard. It will prepare our nominee for the tough fight we are all expecting next November. And further, it will provide a crystal clear contrast with the other side: Democrats belong to the party of inclusion while Republicans are afraid to let the voices of everyday Virginians be heard.

I look forward to seeing you in Fredericksburg this weekend for the Central Committee meeting where I hope to make the case to you in person for choosing a primary for next year’s statewide nominating contests. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call on me personally.

Very Truly Yours,

Senator Creigh Deeds

Paid for by Deeds for Virginia and Authorized by R. Creigh Deeds

PO Box 533
Richmond, VA 23218

Frank LeoneVA DNC Member

I am proud to represent Virginia as one of our five elected members of the Democratic National Committee. This site features my regular reports from the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Virginia , occasional news and comment regarding Virginia politics, and useful links and references. More about me, click here.